Monday, August 22, 2005

A nice Christian assassinationPat Robertson thinks the United States should murder a neighboring head of state, Hugo Chavez, the president of Venezuela.

There was a popular coup that overthrew him [Chavez]. And what did the United States State Department do about it? Virtually nothing. And as a result, within about 48 hours that coup was broken; Chavez was back in power, but we had a chance to move in. He has destroyed the Venezuelan economy, and he's going to make that a launching pad for communist infiltration and Muslim extremism all over the continent.

You know, I don't know about this doctrine of assassination, but if he thinks we're trying to assassinate him, I think that we really ought to go ahead and do it. It's a whole lot cheaper than starting a war

This is not an ambiguous call for the Lord to bring him home, like some of statements on the Supreme Court; this is a very specific call for state sanctioned murder in our name.

Why does Robertson want Chavez dead? Is it really because Chavez is a bout to launch "communist infiltration and Muslim extremism all over the continent"? I don't think so. Is it because he already thinks we're trying to kill him and uncharitable thoughts should be punished a swift non-judicial death? Probably not this one either. Does it have something to do with economics? Bingo.

This is in our sphere of influence, so we can't let this happen. We have the Monroe Doctrine, we have other doctrines that we have announced. And without question, this is a dangerous enemy to our south, controlling a huge pool of oil, that could hurt us very badly.

I don't know for a fact that Robertson has threatened investments in Venezuela, but, considering his record of mind-numbing hypocracy where his pockebook is concerned, I think it would be a safe bet to take. In 2003, Robertson stepped up to defend Charles Taylor, the murderous dictator of Liberia, from international calls for his resignation. He called Taylor a good Christian who was saving the continent from Muslim extremism and scolded Bush for tryingto get rid of a duly elected president. Roberson and Taylor were partners in a gold mining operation. When Robertson was in the diamond mining business with Mobutu Sese Seko he lobbied the State Department to lift a travel ban on the Zairian dictator. When he gained a cable concession in China, he suddenly understood their need for a policy of forced abortions, despite his being on record opposing the availability of voluntary abortion anywhere else on the planet.

Just for the record, the Monroe Doctrine was a statement that the United states would not allow the powers of Europe to try and recolonize the Western Hemisphere once they were thrown out. It did not lay claim to the ownership of the entire hemisphere and it did not lay claim to all of the resources of the hemisphere.

We have the ability to take him out, and I think the time has come that we exercise that ability. We don't need another $200 billion war to get rid of one, you know, strong-arm dictator. It's a whole lot easier to have some of the covert operatives do the job and then get it over with.

This more than another looney sprouting off. Robertson's 700 Club has over one million viewers. Forget about the Christian hypocrisy angle for a moment, this is coming from the mouth of a man that many Republicans were ready to vote into the White House in 1988.